Insult to Injury

After letting a 10-point fourth quarter lead slip away, the Knicks may be without their Captain for a while.

Good morning.

*Sigh*

Game 62: Lakers 113, Knicks 109 (OT)

• After a one-game absence due to the death of a loved one, Karl-Anthony Towns made his return to the lineup, while Precious Achiuwa was out.

• The starting five again came out looking incoherent on both ends, but Jalen Brunson’s shotmaking kept them within shouting distance early.

• A 17-4 run spurred by defense flipped the game on its head.

• New York maintained momentum for most of the second half, but faulted on both ends in the final six minutes, leading to overtime.

• Jalen Brunson turned his ankle in OT, and the Knicks ran out of gas late.

Let’s start with Jalen, because at the end of the day, nothing else matters if he’s not OK.

With 1:24 left in an overtime period they should have never been in to begin with, Jalen Brunson grabbed a defense rebound and hustled up the court with his team down by two. After he was fouled on the shot attempt - a call that JJ Redick challenged and lost - Brunson’s right foot came down on Austin Reaves’ sneaker and almost completely turned over.

After remaining on the court for a bit, he was helped up and eventually attempted his free throws, making both and tying the game. He was then assisted off the floor and brought back to the locker room.

Following the game, Chris Haynes reported that there was “optimism” that Brunson had “only” sustained a sprained ankle, but there are several grades of sprains that could keep him out anywhere from a few games to a few months.

Needless to say, Brunson’s health is now easily New York’s most pressing concern. While wins and losses still matter and home court advantage in the first round is a long way from being wrapped up, at this point, just knowing that the Captain would be fully healthy for the playoffs is something we should all happily sign up for.

In his absence, the Knicks will have their work cut out for them, especially given how the offense has become more dependent on his shot creation and playmaking than at any point this season. In this game, after Brunson assisted on a Josh Hart corner three with 3:23 remaining, he scored the final five points of regulation and the first eight points of overtime.

To their credit, New York has been exceptional on both ends in the 1475 non-garbage time possessions Jalen hasn’t been on the court this season, scoring 121.4 points per 100 possessions and giving up just 111.6. They’ve generated such an efficient offense by speeding things up in those minutes, with a 101.78 pace that would be top-five in the NBA¹. Defensively, his absence should make their lives a little easier.

Still, overcoming the loss of their starting point guard will be a monumental task. The presumed starting lineup for the time being will feature Deuce McBride in place of Jalen, and while that group has a slightly positive scoring margin, they have played just 71 possessions all season. Navigating close fourth quarters will not be easy.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the injury is that the game should have been over well before it occurred.